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HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFMCNS) -- Each of us joined the Air Force for reasons known only to the individual.
Some needed employment. Some were seeking training and education that might lead to a lucrative civilian career after serving in the Air Force.
Others may have joined to gain financial benefits that would enable them to pay for college expenses. Many wanted to fly a jet fighter.
Some felt an obligation or desire to serve their country while some were following a family tradition. We may also have joined to fulfill a dream of travel and adventure.
Hopefully, most of us are accomplishing our purposes, but not all of us will. Some haven't developed skills that are directly transferable to a civilian occupation.
Some will leave after their initial enlistment, or maybe even retire, without fulfilling their dreams or expectations. However, I believe we all gain immeasurably from the intangible benefits of military service, which can make us valuable assets to our nation as citizens and employees.
Before rejoining the military several years ago, I observed my 30-something neighbors living their lives without, what I perceived to be, the intangible benefits of military service. These neighbors were honest, upstanding citizens, but I felt they lacked the maturity and seasoning I had come to expect from my previous experiences with military members.
I noted that my neighbors were rearing their children in an environment that didn't develop those attributes. I'll elaborate on what I consider to be the intangible benefits of military service.
Relatively early in our military experience, almost all of us faced circumstances where we weren't in control of our situation. We had to respond to a controlling individual's whims or directions, many of which were unreasonable or uncomfortable.
No one sought our input or suggestions, nor were they concerned with our opinions or comfort. We might have experienced this in basic training, during ROTC encampments, or in the first days at an academy.
Valuable lessons are derived from learning that you cannot always be in control -- that you have to make the best of uncomfortable situations and still accomplish the desired outcome.
I spent most of my early years in a community lacking much ethnic, cultural or racial variability -- almost all of us were from similar roots and shared common values. Immediately upon entering one of the academies, I experienced the benefit of associating with individuals who were very different from me.
The first day I was assigned a roommate not of my race, whom I grew to respect, admire and consider a true friend. We had to cooperate and encourage each other to survive very difficult circumstances.
In the Air Force we soon learn that we must work as a team, regardless of our race, beliefs or other differences, to accomplish the mission. Many of our civilian contemporaries haven't learned this lesson; they haven't experienced the trust and understanding that comes from achieving goals with individuals from different backgrounds.
A final intangible benefit of military service I believe we receive is learning commitment to the job at hand and seeing it to completion, often despite being shorthanded of personnel or resources. We learn to complete the task our leaders assigned, rather than quit because it is too difficult or we don't like the work involved.
We don't have license to change to a different job because we don't like the boss or our co-workers. We learn to complete the job because others are depending on us. Flexibility becomes second nature as a result of rapidly changing situations in the military environment.
As military members we've developed character traits that leaders in business, industry and government view as extremely desirable. These organizations can teach skills, but dedication, loyalty, flexibility and commitment are commonly derived from military experience.
As Air Force members, we can return to civilian life armed with these attributes. All citizens of our nation would benefit from personally possessing these traits.
My hope is that each of us will encourage and support our family members and acquaintances in considering service in the Air Force. Let them share what we have gained.
© 2005 AFMC Public Affairs. All opinions expressed in this article are the
author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
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